Devil Within
by sofia313
Summary: Lady Lydie de Martel. The youngest child of Count de Martel. The half-sister of the Lord Tristan and the Lady Aurora. For so long Lucien had dreamt of her. Sometimes dreams can turn into nightmares.
1. Chapter 1

France, 1002

"She is lovely."

Lucien startled, he hadn't noticed Niklaus appearing beside him. He had been too concentrated on looking at the young woman who was sitting under the sunshade with few other women, including the Lady Aurora. The day was hot; many ladies were enjoying it in the garden. Lucien however only saw one of them. Lady Lydie de Martel. The youngest child of Count de Martel. The half-sister of the Lord Tristan and the Lady Aurora. The moment Lucien had met her, had changed his life for good. He had lost his heart to her, as foolish as that was. He knew better than well that she would never be his. Yes, his mind knew that, but his heart didn't care. It longed for the forbidden fruit.

"My lord?" he murmured after clearing his throat.

Niklaus smiled.

"Lady Lydie. I have seen you looking at her before."

Lucien blushed, he couldn't help it. He certainly wouldn't have wanted Niklaus to notice how pathetic he was.

"No, no, you are mistaken, my lord…"

"It's alright," Niklaus assured and touched Lucien's shoulder. "I am not planning to tell anyone."

"Thank you, my lord."

They were both quiet for a moment before Niklaus continued.

"She seems like a sweet young lady."

"She is," Lucien sighed.

That was one of he things Lucien loved about her. Unlike her father and her brother, she was a kind and gentle person. Yet she wasn't as fragile as her sister and her brother didn't coddle her the same way. Her mother, the Count's second wife, had died when she had been a small child and her father didn't pay much attention to her. Tristan was the one who made sure that no man came anywhere near her. Maybe he didn't coddle her, but there was no doubt that he would kill Lucien if he would ever find out how he felt toward Lady Lydie.

"You must find me pathetic, my lord," Lucien finally murmured.

Niklaus shook his head.

"No, I do not. She and her sister are both very beautiful."

Lucien glanced at him and understood immediately what was going on. Niklaus wasn't the first man who had fallen for the Lady Aurora.

"My lord… I beg you to be careful. As I told you, the Lord Tristan is a very ruthless man. Just like his farther."

Niklaus smiled.

"I appreciate your concern, but everything is fine."

Lucien truly hoped so. He had seen what Tristan was capable of. Speaking of the devil… Tristan had just arrived; he marched towards the sunshade and greeted Lady Aurora first. Lady Lydie smiled at him as he kissed her hand. Lucien knew that she cared about her brother, but she also feared him. She had said so herself one time when Lucien have had a chance to spent a moment alone with her in the garden. She had seemed troubled and absentminded, so Lucien had asked her was something wrong.

She had almost confided him, but then one of her maids had come to look for her. It wasn't difficult to see that Lady Lydie wasn't happy. Lucien had imagined many times how he would march over to her, scoop her up into his arms and take her far away from here. If he would have wealth and power, he would do that without hesitation. He would claim her as his and treat her as she deserved to be treated. He would worship her. If only he could… No, that would never happen. He would never be nothing more than a worthless servant.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _2 days earlier_

 _Lydie de Martel walked behind her brother and sister who were just entering the hall arm in arm. Her place had always been behind them, she had got used to that. Tristan adored Aurora, she was everything to him. He was willing to do anything to protect her. Usually there was nothing wrong with that, but right now… Right now Lydie felt like a sacrificial lamb._

 _When her father had told her that she would be married off to Count de Guise, she had immediately known that Tristan had convinced their father to choose her over Aurora. The older daughter should have been married off first, but there was no chance Tristan would ever allow Aurora to be given to someone like Count de Guise. First of all, he was as old as their father and second of all… He was just as cruel as their father._

 _There had been all kinds of rumors about what had happened to the previous Countess de Guise. Everyone knew that the Count was a harsh and brutal man, but he was also a very wealthy and powerful man. Lydie would soon be his wife. She had cried her fate more than once, but now she was done crying. She didn't really feel anything anymore; she was numb as she followed her siblings._

 _The Count had arrived today; her father was throwing a feast for his honor. No one in the court knew about Lydie's engagement yet, but after tonight, everyone would know. Tonight she would meet her husband. The hall was full of people, but she barely noticed any of them. All she wanted was to run. Hide. Anything but to do this. She felt a lump in her throat, but somehow she managed to keep herself together._

 _Slowly she looked up and saw her father's servant Lucien across the room. He was standing with some nobleman Lydie haven't met. The young servant was looking at her with a worried expression. Lydie couldn't help but smile at him; he was a very warmhearted young man and he had always been kind to her. She couldn't imagine that he would ever harm anyone. If only she could have married someone like him…_

 _"Lydie!"_

 _She startled a little when she heard her father's voice. There was a man standing next to him, she assumed that he was Count de Guise. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, not yet. Her feet felt heavy, but she forced herself to walk over to her father._

 _"Good evening, father," she said as calmly as she could and curtsied._

 _"Lydie, this is the Lord Elijah," Count de Martel stated. "Count de Guise's son."_

 _His son? Finally she looked at him, he was smiling politely._

 _"My lady," he greeted her and kissed her hand._

 _"It is an honor to meet you, my lord," she managed to say._

 _"The honor is mine," he replied. "And I must say that my father is truly a lucky man."_

 _She forced a smile on her face._

 _"Thank you, my lord. Is… Is Count de Guise here?"_

 _"No," Count de Martel said. "He sent his children on his behalf; they will escort you to your new home."_

 _"Oh."_

 _Lydie was relieved; at least she would have some more time. Yet she had an unpleasant feeling. The Lord Elijah was still smiling at her, but there was something about him that made her nervous. Surely she was just imagining it…_

 _"Brother!" a cheerful male voice suddenly said. "Your Grace."_

 _Lydie saw a dark-haired man who seemed to be in a good mood. His smile grew wider when he noticed her._

 _"And who is this lovely lady?"_

 _"Brother, this is the Lady Lydie," Lord Elijah said, he sounded a bit tense. "His Grace's daughter. My lady, this is my brother, the Lord Kol."_

 _"Honor, my lord," she mumbled as he kissed her hand. Now she was most definitely nervous. It didn't matter, they would soon be her family, she needed to get used to them._

 _"Forgive me, my lords, I did not know that my betrothed has children," she said, trying her best to smile._

 _Lord Kol seemed confused._

 _"This is the lovely lady who will marry our father," Lord Elijah stated, he still sounded tense._

 _Lord Kol's eyes widened._

 _"Marry our… Yes, of course." He paused and smirked. "I have to say that I envy our dear father. He will have a stunning bride."_

 _"Yes, I am sure that Count de Guise will be pleased with her," Count de Martel stated. "Perhaps it is best not to announce the engagement yet, we can do that when you return home with her."_

 _Lord Kol was still smirking; Lydie hoped that he would stop staring at her. Count de Martel glanced at her carelessly._

 _"That will be all, Lydie."_

 _She curtsied and left, grateful to get away. There was something about her new family that really made her nervous. She would have a long journey ahead of her with them. She would be alone in a strange place, married to a man known for his cruelty. Not a life she was looking forward to. Unfortunately she didn't have much choice. She had never been nothing more than property to her father; he had never showed her any kind of affection. She highly doubted that her husband would either. Love… It was nothing but a fairytale._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _7-years-old Lydie was sobbing hopelessly. Her nursemaid Babette had just explained to her that her mother had gone to heaven. Lydie knew that her mother had been ill, but she hadn't been allowed to see her. Now she was gone and she had left Lydie behind. Babette had said that her mother would still see her and hear her when she would go to the chapel and pray. She really wanted to go, but she had been told to stay in her chamber._

 _She hoped that her mother was happy now. Babette had said that there was no pain or sadness in heaven. Her mother had been sad as long as Lydie could remember. She had cried a lot and told Lydie how cruel place this world was. She had hoped that Lydie would never have to go through things she herself had been forced to face. Lydie hadn't been sure what those things were, but she knew that her father had treated her mother badly._

 _Babette had said that he would come and visit Lydie as soon as he would have time. She wasn't allowed to leave her chamber before he would come. All she could do was to sit on her bed and cry. A sudden knock on the door startled her; she swallowed and tried quickly to dry her eyes. Her father would be angry if he would see her tears. The door opened before Lydie had time to say anything. It wasn't her father who entered her chamber, it was Tristan. He looked just as serious as always._

 _"Hello, sister," he greeted her. "I am here on the behalf of our father. He sends his regards and apologizes for not being able to be here personally. Unfortunately he has important matters that require his attention."_

 _Lydie looked at her brother, trying to understand his words. There was no expression on his face, his pale blue eyes observed her calmly._

 _"Mama has gone to heaven," she said quietly._

 _"Yes, so I have been told," he replied. "My condolences."_

 _Lydie's eyes were watering up, she couldn't stop herself._

 _"I want to go with her," she sobbed._

 _Tristan was clearly uncomfortable; he cleared his throat before speaking._

 _"Please calm yourself, sister," he stated. "These things happen; there is no need to become emotional."_

 _"But my mama…"_

 _"I have also lost mine," he cut in. "I did not shed a tear. Our father would have punished me severely if I would have. You must not let him see you crying."_

 _Lydie shivered and dried her eyes. She knew that Tristan was right._

 _"Thank you, brother."_

 _He gave her a nod and walked over to her. She stood up before he took her hand and touched it with his lips. The gesture was formal, but it meant a lot to her. She was grateful that he was here. Maybe she wasn't very important to him, not like Aurora, but he had never been mean to her._

 _"Again, my condolences," he stated and touched her shoulder before taking a step back. "Try to get some rest, sister, you look tired."_

 _She wanted to ask him to stay with her, but she didn't. It wasn't appropriate of her to bother him; she had been told that several times. He was their father's son, his heir. Aurora was the oldest daughter and their father seemed to be fond of her. He wasn't fond of Lydie, at least she didn't think so. Her mother had said that he was nothing but a cruel man. A monster. She had hoped that Lydie would never have to find out what kind of beasts men could be._

* * *

Lydie sat under the sunshade with Aurora and few other ladies, but she couldn't really concentrate on listening to them. Aurora was the center of the attention as usual, she was smiling sweetly. There had always been a certain light in her; it was no wonder why so many men had been drawn to her. She was beautiful, inside and out, but she was also very delicate, vulnerable. It was more than understandable why Tristan had always been so protective of her.

Right now he was talking with couple of lords, but he was also keeping an eye on Aurora. Lydie looked at her sister and felt guilty for her unkind thoughts. Her engagement wasn't Aurora's fault, but Lydie still felt some bitterness towards her. A part of her had always envied Aurora. She scolded herself immediately for such thoughts, she needed to enjoy these final moments with her sister. It was very likely that she would never see her family again after she would leave with Count de Guise's children.

Speaking of which… She noticed Lady Rebekah standing by herself. Lydie hadn't talked to her yet, but they had been introduced and she was hoping to get to know her. Maybe even befriend her. She also hoped to have some information about her husband before she would meet him. This seemed like a perfect opportunity. She excused herself and walked over to Lady Rebekah.

"Good morning, my lady," she greeted her.

"Good morning," Lady Rebekah replied. If Lydie wasn't mistaken, she seemed a little nervous. Lydie couldn't imagine why.

"It is a lovely day," Lydie continued.

"Yes, it is."

Lady Rebekah didn't continue; she still seemed nervous. Perhaps she was shy.

"What do you think about Marseille, my lady?" Lydie asked after a brief moment of silence.

"Oh, I love it," she replied. "This castle is beautiful."

"Yes, I think you are right. What about your home? Is it a lot like this?"

"No," she murmured. "It's nothing like this."

"Oh? May I ask what your home is like then?"

"It's…smaller."

"I see."

That was a surprise; Lydie had understood that Count de Guise was everything but a modest man. Not that it mattered; she would have happily lived anywhere if she could have married someone who would treat her kindly.

"Your brothers also seem to like it here," she stated and glanced at the Lord Elijah and the Lord Niklaus who were just impressing the ladies of the court with their archery skills.

"Yes," Lady Rebekah replied.

"Do they enjoy hunting?"

"Yes, they do."

"How about your father?"

Lady Rebekah tensed, for a moment she seemed almost shocked.

"What?"

"I was merely wondering if Count de Guise also enjoys hunting," Lydie said quickly, hoping that she hadn't somehow offended Lady Rebekah.

"Oh… Yes, of course, my father… Yes, he does enjoy hunting."

Lydie nodded.

"What else does he enjoy?"

Lady Rebekah seemed confused.

"May I ask why do you want to know?"

Lydie felt embarrassed as she understood how her question must have sounded like. Lady Rebekah didn't know about the engagement.

"Forgive me, I… There is something I would like to tell you, my lady and I would ask you not to mention it to anyone yet."

Rebekah looked at her cautiously and nodded.

"I won't."

"Thank you. Not many people know this yet, I will marry your father. Is has all been arranged."

Lady Rebekah's eyes widened, she was clearly surprised.

"But… You are so young."

Lydie tried her best to smile.

"I will try my hardest to be the worthy of Count de Guise…"

"That is not what I meant. He is much older than you, why…"

She didn't continue and Lydie couldn't quite understand why she was so surprised. She was a noblewoman herself; surely she knew that their marriages were arranged, often with much older noblemen.

"I am honored to marry Count de Guise," Lydie said, trying her best to sound sincere. "And I shall be honored to call you my family, my lady."

Lady Rebekah smiled, although her smile seemed a bit tense.

"And we shall be honored to have you in our family," a male voice suddenly said.

Lydie hadn't noticed Lord Kol, he had just appeared next to her. She barely managed not to startle.

"Thank you, my lord, you are very kind."

Once again she didn't like the way he was looking at her, his smirk made her uncomfortable.

"Of course," he hummed and kissed her hand. "I have no doubt that we shall have a very pleasant journey together."

Thankfully she didn't have to reply when Lady Rebekah cut in.

"Forgive my brother, sometimes he forgets his manners." She paused and wrapped her arm around Lydie's. "Shall we join the other ladies?"

Lydie was more than happy to agree, Lord Kol's company made her nervous. She was more than grateful that she wouldn't have to travel alone with him. His brothers seemed like good men and Lydie was sure that she would get along with Lady Rebekah. Maybe she would find a way to get through this.


End file.
